For more information, check out the whole call for application, the experience reports and the competition cases of the previous years on the right.

1) What is the International Criminal Court Moot Court?

Every year, around 60 teams from all over the world participate in the International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition in The Hague, simulating the proceedings of the International Criminal Court in a fictitious dispute. The Competition involves collaboration with judges from international courts and tribunals, professors of international law and international criminal law, and other legal professionals. This network makes the ICC Moot Court Competition a realistic simulation of ICC proceedings.

Each team consists of three to five students and has to argue on behalf of the Prosecutor, the Defense Counsel, and the Government Counsel, or the Legal Representative of the Victims. The teams compete with one another in writing memorials and in pleading in front of the judges. The entire competition is held in English.

2) Why participate?

The students will compete with one another and improve their presentation and debating skills. This is a unique chance to gain a lot of practical and very useful experience in international law – both international criminal law and general international law. Furthermore, students get a first-hand knowledge of the working of the most important institutions in international criminal law. They meet distinguished international jurists and practitioners who give helpful guidance and feedback. Additionally, the competition unites law students from all over the world who share an interest in international criminal law and related fields of international law (like human rights law and international humanitarian law). Students learn from each other, while forging strong international bonds which can promote their future careers and create new friendships. If you are interested in international law, and in particular international criminal law, this is now your opportunity to apply and participate in this great competition.

3) Schedule of the Competition

a) General preparation (September – October)

Students prepare for the writing of the memorials by familiarizing themselves with the topic, by reading and discussing important issues of the case.

b) Written memorials (November – February)

After intensive research by the team, students develop their memorials and improve them until the submission date.

b) Oral pleadings (February – May)

Already some time before handing in the memorials, the team will start preparing the oral pleadings. The members must learn how to argue convincingly and successfully before an international court. Only with good debating skills and a profound knowledge of the facts and the applicable law can the judges be convinced.

Three of the maximum five participating students will each plead for a different side, while being supported by the other team members.

4) Application

Participants should have a basic knowledge of public international law and good English language skills. Interested students cannot enroll for the course in the bidding system but must apply for participation by sending a letter of motivation and a CV to the following Email address: isabelle.maurer@unisg.ch. The application deadline is August 31, 2018. If you have further questions, please contact Ms. Maurer any time.

Shortly after the deadline, interviews with the candidates will take place. A candidate’s motivation and skills (both in international law and in the English language) are important issues in these interviews. However, there are not any rigid rules for the selection of participants. Accordingly, everybody is encouraged to apply (irrespective of grades attained so far) who is willing to participate actively and joyfully in the work of the HSG team. Please consider applying even if you think that your knowledge in international criminal law is not yet good enough. During the competition you will learn a lot about special rules in international law. No worries, at the beginning no one has all the knowledge required for arguing the case. Being part of the Moot Court team can truly be a once-in-a-life-time experience! However, work is time-consuming, which also is the reason why 15 ECTS credits are assigned for participation in the course.

HSG guest students

HSG guest students are expressly encouraged to apply. If you are studying in St. Gallen for only one semester, you will only be able to participate in the course in the fall term. In that case, the examination will consist of writing an essay about one of the legal issues in the present Moot Court case.

Information about the Telders International Law Moot Court which was mentored by the Chair of Prof. Fassbender in the past years

1) What is the Telders International Law Moot Court?

Every year since 1977 students from all over Europe have come to The Hague to participate in this competition named in honour of the Dutch international law professor Benjamin Marius Telders. The Telders Moot Court is one of the most renowned and prestigious international student competitions in public international law.

The student teams deal with a case involving a fictitious dispute between two states. This dispute is put before the United Nations’ most important legal organ, the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The proceedings will be simulated as if it was a real case to be decided by the ICJ. Experts in international law will score the performance of the students. It is not unusual that “true” ICJ Judges will make their appearance at the competition.

It is up to the teams, composed of 2 to 4 students each, to defend the two states to the best of their abilities. Each team has to represent the states substantively by writing memorials for the applicant and respondent sides. This is a special attraction of the competition but also a significant challenge for every team. The students will compete with one another and improve their presentation and debating skills. This is a unique chance to gain a lot of practical and very useful experience in international law. Because of the small number of participants, the staff-student ratio is excellent in this course. Most of the former participants see the Telders Moot Court as their best course of their studies. The entire competition is held in English.

2) Schedule of the Competition

a) Written memorials phase (October – January)

At the end of September, the case will be published by the organizers in The Hague. After intensive research by the team, memorials (the centre-piece of which are 25 pages of argumentation) are developed for the applicants and respondents and improved until the submission in January.

b) Oral pleadings phase (January – April)

Already some time before handing in the memorials, the team will start preparing the oral pleadings. The members must learn how to fight for their arguments before a court. If besides the HSG another Swiss University applies to the competition, a national Swiss selection will be held in February or March. The winning team will not only represent their university but also Switzerland in the final rounds at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the ICJ.